This was found by the IDEA study of the London School of Economics and Political Science 2016 yesterday, ahead of World Mental Health Day today.
Dr Sebolelo Seape, chairperson of the Psychiatry Management Group (PsychMG), said that organisations and individuals alike needed to become more aware of the reality and impact that mental health has on the workplace.
“With more than 9.7 percent of the South African population, or 4.5 million to be exact, suffering from depression, the chances are quite real that the person sitting next to you in the office is at some stage in their lives of coping with the condition,” Seape said.
“It’s not only the duty of the individuals suffering from mental health issues but also organisations and colleagues to fight the stigma associated.”
This year World Mental Health day focuses on mental health in the workplace.
Seape said depression has a significant impact on productivity which in turn aggravates the resulting problems at work and relationships with colleagues and line managers.
“In South Africa, employees are very likely to keep working during periods of depression, impacting their productivity and performance at work. This can be due to fear of losing their jobs, being ostracised from colleagues, or lack of mental health knowledge, not understanding why they are going through a spell of periods of not being well,” Seape said.